iBiology
iBiology is a Berkeley-based nonprofit operating a free, open-access library of 600+ biology videos and online courses presented by leading scientists, serving early career researchers, educators, and the general public.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What iBiology does
iBiology is a nonprofit educational organization founded in 2006 and operated by Science Communication Lab, Inc., a US 501(c)-style entity headquartered in Berkeley, California. It provides a free, open-access library of 600+ biology videos, lectures, and animations presented by leading scientists including Nobel laureates such as Jennifer Doudna on CRISPR and Neil Shubin on Tiktaalik, alongside a curated set of online courses hosted on the Canvas learning management system.
The platform's underlying technology is a content-delivery stack rather than a proprietary software product: video hosting on ibiology.org and the parent sciencecommunicationlab.org, YouTube distribution via the @scicommlab channel, Canvas LMS for structured courses, Stripe/Give Lively for donation processing, and Google Analytics for usage tracking. Differentiated offerings include a comprehensive Microscopy Series (basic to advanced), a Bioimage Analysis Course, the Share Your Research Series, and the Famous Discoveries playlist. Content is published under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 licensing.
The business model is fully nonprofit and grant-funded rather than revenue-generating from end users. All videos, courses, and educator resources are provided free of charge with no registration requirement for basic access. Primary funding comes from government grants — notably NSF Grant No. 2122350 and NIGMS Grant No. 1 R25 GM139147 — supplemented by philanthropic support from the Lasker Foundation, Rita Allen Foundation, and individual donations. The target audience spans three horizontal segments: early career scientists (graduate students, postdocs) for professional development; K-12 and university educators for classroom resources; and the general public for science engagement. The organization holds GDPR, CCPA, and COPPA-aligned privacy practices and reports no traditional equity ownership, venture capital backing, or public listing.
iBiology firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- iBiology
- Legal name
- Science Communication Lab, Inc.
- Website
- https://ibiology.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- iBiology is a Berkeley-based nonprofit operating a free, open-access library of 600+ biology videos and online courses presented by leading scientists, serving early career researchers, educators, and the general public.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
iBiology industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Biology Education
- NAICS
- Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Microlearning Content Libraries (Bite-Sized Lessons) (EDAFACAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Interactive Video & Video-Based Learning Authoring (EDAFAHAC), Nature, Science & Wildlife Documentaries (MPADADAF), Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)
Keywords
Where iBiology is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
iBiology business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Grant Funding: iBiology operates as a non-profit organization funded primarily through grants from government agencies and foundations. The Privacy Policy and Terms of Use are governed by Science Communication Lab, Inc. Content is provided free to all users.
- Donations: The organization accepts donations through its website via Give Lively (Stripe) to support continued free distribution of educational content.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Access to All Content |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
iBiology product offering
Product offeringCore offering
iBiology provides a free, open-access online library of 600+ biology videos featuring lectures, research talks, and animations presented by leading scientists (including Nobel laureates), along with structured online professional development courses for early career scientists hosted on Canvas. It also offers free classroom-ready educator resources (lesson plans, discussion questions, hands-on activities) and, via its parent Science Communication Lab, produces cinematic science films for public engagement.
Product overview
iBiology is a free biology education platform offering 600+ video lectures and courses produced by leading scientists. The core product is the iBiology video library featuring talks on genetics, cell biology, microbiology, neuroscience, evolution, and more. The subsidiary brand iBiology Courses (hosted on Canvas) provides structured professional development with over 20,000 learners since 2016. The platform is operated by Science Communication Lab, which also produces cinematic science films. Additional offerings include microscopy and bioimage analysis course modules, career development resources, educator tools, and curated playlists like Famous Discoveries and Share Your Research.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- iBiology Video Library Free, open-access online library of 600+ biology videos including research talks, lecture series, and animations presented by leading scientists (including Nobel laureates) across genetics, cell biology, microbiology, neuroscience, immunology, evolution, and microscopy. Targeted at individual scientists, educators, and the general public.
- iBiology Courses Free online professional development courses for early career scientists, covering career planning, experimental design, mentee training, and science communication. Hosted on Canvas with self-paced, expert-led video instruction.
- Microscopy Series Comprehensive microscopy course covering basic to advanced techniques with lectures, labs, and assessments; includes a short 14-lecture beginner version. Targeted at life sciences researchers needing microscopy training.
- Bioimage Analysis Course Course following the life cycle of an image data set from acquisition to analysis, providing important concepts, best practices, and examples for scientists designing their own experiments.
- Career Development Resources Professional development content covering career planning, experimental design, mentee training, networking skills, oral presentations, and science communication for early career scientists.
- Educator Resources Free classroom-ready teaching tools including standards-aligned lesson plans, discussion questions, and hands-on science activities for high school and university biology educators. Includes flipped course materials for cell biology, engineering life, evolution, and immunology.
- Science Communication Lab Films Cinematic films produced by the Science Communication Lab (parent organization) that showcase scientists, dive into the nature of science, and inspire awe and curiosity, hosted on the sciencecommunicationlab.org website.
Quantifiable outcome
- 20,000+ early career scientists trained since 2016
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use iBiology
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
iBiology technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature5 records
iBiology partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
iBiology competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Class Central: MOOC aggregator listing free and paid online courses across providers. Adjacent as a discovery layer for online biology courses including content from iBiology and competitors.
Broad incumbents
- Coursera: Large MOOC platform offering biology, life sciences, and research skills courses from universities. Broad incumbent in online education with overlapping audience of early career scientists but offering credentialed paid courses.
- edX: University-affiliated MOOC platform offering biology, bioinformatics, and research courses. Overlaps in serving early career scientists with higher education content, but operates with paid credentialed model.
Direct peers
- Khan Academy: Free, open-access educational platform with video lessons, practice exercises, and educator tools covering STEM including biology. Comparable in free model, video-based content, and educator resources.
- JoVE (Journal of Visualized Experiments): Peer-reviewed scientific video journal publishing video articles and educational videos across biology and medicine. Overlaps with iBiology in video-based biology education and lab technique training, with a paid institutional model.
- HHMI BioInteractive: Howard Hughes Medical Institute's free biology education platform offering high-quality videos, animations, and educator resources. Direct peer in free, scientist-led biology educational content with strong educator distribution.
- Crash Course: YouTube-based educational video series covering science topics including biology, hosted by knowledgeable presenters. Comparable in video-first approach to science education and YouTube-led distribution.
- TED-Ed: TED's educational initiative producing short, high-quality animated and narrated lessons on science topics. Comparable in video-based educational content distributed for free, with a focus on making complex ideas accessible.
Emerging players
- LabXchange: Free online platform from Harvard's Amgen Foundation offering science education content, virtual lab experiences, and educator resources. Comparable in free access, biology focus, and educator support.
- Nature Education (Scitable): Nature Publishing's free educational platform with articles, videos, and learning resources for undergraduate biology students. Comparable in serving biology learners with high-quality free content from a trusted scientific publisher.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
iBiology social profiles
Digital presenceiBiology compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
iBiology financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
iBiology leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
iBiology funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
iBiology M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about iBiology
What does iBiology do?
iBiology provides a free, open-access online library of 600+ biology videos featuring lectures, research talks, and animations presented by leading scientists (including Nobel laureates), along with structured online professional development courses for early career scientists hosted on Canvas. It also offers free classroom-ready educator resources (lesson plans, discussion questions, hands-on activities) and, via its parent Science Communication Lab, produces cinematic science films for public engagement.
Is iBiology a public or private company?
iBiology is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was iBiology founded?
iBiology was founded in 2006.
Where is iBiology based?
iBiology is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does iBiology make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Grant Funding is the primary driver. The others are donations.
Who are iBiology's main competitors?
Class Central is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Coursera and edX. Direct peers are Khan Academy, JoVE (Journal of Visualized Experiments), HHMI BioInteractive, Crash Course and TED-Ed. Emerging players are LabXchange and Nature Education (Scitable).
Does iBiology have an API?
No public API is recorded for iBiology.
What industry is iBiology in?
iBiology's product category is Online Biology Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFACAI, Microlearning Content Libraries (Bite-Sized Lessons), with a secondary code of EDAFAHAC, Interactive Video & Video-Based Learning Authoring. Its NAICS code is 7121 and its SIC code is 8200.